Night Music

Chapter 6: Curtain Call

By the end of the evening, Neal was in relaxation mode. The opera had been glorious, the dinner superb. The only missing element was Sara by his side. It was difficult not to be envious of Sam and Dean who were able to attend the event with their girlfriends.

The Winchesters looked distinguished in their tuxes. Chloe told Neal that Electra had provided shopping money for her to buy a gown for the event. Dean was seeing Chloe in a new light as she was him, and from their mutual looks of admiration, the event was a success. Sam and Maia appeared equally blissful. Neal felt an empathetic warmth, not that he'd had much of anything to do with it. Was that why Henry and El enjoyed matchmaking so much?

"Thinking of Sara?" Peter murmured in his ear.

Neal nodded, flicking a glance at a redhead in a slinky platinum gown and wishing she was Sara. "Have I told you how much I despise long-distance relationships?" He and Peter were lingering over champagne on the Parterre Level. Many of the patrons had already left. So far there'd been no sign of Mozart.

"Several times over. You're beginning to sense why I wasn't enthusiastic to join the Interpol art crimes task force."

"But now it may be my salvation. Don't they need me for a case in London?"

Peter chuckled. "Go ahead and contact John Hobhouse. Just don't stage the heist in advance in hopes he'll call on you."

Neal stood back to gaze at him admiringly. "Why didn't I think of that? You're a genius!"

Peter groaned. "Me and my big mouth."

Neal smiled and switched topics before Peter began to stew in earnest. "What did you think of the opera?"

"That scene where the deceased father—What's his name?"

"The Commendatore."

"Yeah, what you said. That scene where he came to life and Don Giovanni was dragged off to Hell has to rank as one of opera's scariest moments."

"It's too bad Dean and Sam insisted on patrolling. They would have appreciated the demons."

"I now have a fuller appreciation of why Mozart's ghost wrote Rache on the bathroom mirror. Although it still doesn't make any sense why he suddenly appeared here after hundreds of years."

"I've been concerned about that as well," Neal agreed. "In the case of the other eidolon, we assumed his chance came when the building with its secret room was undergoing renovation. What was the trigger for Mozart?"

Peter took a sip of champagne and reflected for a moment. "It may have been the violin."

"How so?" Neal asked.

"It's possible there are only a few locations where a rift to Oblivion can form. There may be none near Salzburg where the violin is normally on exhibit. When the violin was brought to New York, the eidolon could have considered it his golden opportunity."

"Meaning we'll have to smash the violin to send him back?" Neal grimaced. "There's got to be another way. We should put Mozzie to work on it."

"Have you seen him?" Peter scanned the crowd. "I'd have thought he and Janet would have joined us at the bar."

"I saw them briefly at the end of the opera. Janet had arranged for them to meet the head of the wardrobe department."

Peter nodded absently, his brow furrowing.

"What's wrong?" Neal asked.

"Dean's heading our way and he's got a dark cloud over his head. Something's up."